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Condensing Heat Recovery
heat recovery
EnerSmart Programs
Are your
energy dollars
flying up your
chimney?
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Summary
Condensing Heat Recovery
Rothsay, a division of Maple Leaf Foods, boosts
boiler efficiency with ConDex heat recovery systems
Summary
Rothsay maximized boiler heat recovery at its Moorefield rendering plant by adding five ConDex indirect condensing
economizer systems. Installed inside the exhaust stacks, the units recover both sensible and latent heat energy from
flue gases, re-using it to pre-heat combustion air, boiler intake, and make-up water. This will save an estimated
$400,000 a year on its natural gas bill.
Background
Challenge
Rothsay produces over 45,000 tons of ingredients supplied to pet
foods and animal feed suppliers per year at its facility in Moorefield.
Year round it runs three shifts a day, 5 ½ days a week.
The Moorefield plant is the biggest
consumer of natural gas in the Maple
Leaf chain. Most of its raw materials –
pork and poultry offals and feathers –
are high in water content, so the extraction
process requires a large amount of steam.
To meet corporate performance metrics and to reduce its
environmental impacts, the company is committed to continuously
improving its energy efficiency. Its parent company, Maple Leaf
Foods, participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project, providing
annual reports on its greenhouse gas emissions for the investment
community. Plant managers are constantly looking for ways to
reduce the volume of natural gas required to transform a ton of raw
material into products.
Solution
In 2003, Union Gas helped fund a comprehensive energy savings audit at the plant. Following a more specialized
engineering analysis of the boiler plant, Rothsay managers decided to pursue flue gas heat recovery as an opportunity to
realize important efficiency gains. Their strategy was to increase the amount of steam produced for every m3 of natural gas.
Another plant in the Maple Leaf Food network was already seeing impressive results from a ConDex heat recovery
system. So Power House Chief, Dave Turton, engaged Combustion & Energy Systems Ltd. to install the system directly
in the stacks of his three boilers. The highly efficient Triple Stage ConDex Systems recover more than five million
BTU/ hour of energy from the flue gases by condensing the flue gases below the dew point. This energy is returned to
the boiler operation where it is used to heat combustion air, boiler feedwater, and make-up water.
Based on the positive results achieved at these two facilities, Maple Leaf is completing a third installation in Brandon,
Manitoba and is investigating two other potential emplacements.
Business Benefits
• Estimated annual fuel savings 700,000 m3 gas
• Annual dollar savings - $400,000
• Payback less than two years
• Low maintenance and long equipment life
Environmental Benefits
• Annual CO2 emission reduction – 2,350 tons
• Annual NOx emission reduction – 1.56 tons
*
Condensing heat recovery can
be used to recover flue gas heat
from boilers, ovens, dryers,
incinerators and turbines. The
technology is used in a wide variety
of industrial, commercial and
institutional facilities including:
• Automotive manufacturing
• Silicone production
• Edible oils plants
• Central steam plants
• Hospital & university heating systems
• Chemical production
• Paper making
wins & highlights
• ConDex Energy Recovery System reduces
energy use by an estimated 6%
• Recovered heat substitutes for
purchased energy
• Simple project payback < 2 years
• $50,000 Union Gas financial incentive
for equipment
Rothsay is installing
metering and monitoring
equipment to better manage
gas and hydro usage at
Moorefield. This will
provide better information
for energy efficiency
calculations and planning.
heat recovery
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Condensing Heat Recovery
Flue gas
economizers
recover waste
energy and
bottom line
savings
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Condensing Heat Recovery
‘‘
Union Gas has worked with all of our southwestern Ontario plants
to improve energy efficiency. With their help, we have been able
to push forward ever more aggressive energy reduction projects.
‘‘
Dave Turton
Chief Engineer/Maintenance Manager,
Rothsay, Moorefield, Ontario
Visit uniongas.com/enertalkmlf for our EnerTalk video on the Maple Leaf Foods/Rothsay energy recovery project.
Union Gas - Working with you
Union Gas Account Manager, Harry VandenBrink, has helped Maple Leaf
Foods access engineering and design assistance as well as financial incentives
for equipment. Union Gas paid for two-thirds of the cost of the energy audit at
Moorefield and provided $50,000 towards the installed cost of the ConDex
heat recovery systems.
Call the energy experts at Union Gas
Union Gas is committed to providing industrial, institutional, and commercial
energy users with information on energy efficiency, technologies, services and incentives.
If you would like to learn more about Union Gas’ EnerSmart support for energy
audits, feasibility studies and installation of energy efficient equipment, contact your
Account Manager or visit our website at enersmart.com/largebusiness
EnerSmart. For the profit in energy efficiency.™
TM
CONSERVE • SAVE • PROFIT
Energy efficiency projects pay you year after year!
TM
CONSERVE • SAVE • PROFIT
Printed on recycled paper using environmentally-friendly inks. ™ EnerSmart is a trade-mark of Union Gas Limited.
© Union Gas Limited 2009 04/2009 UG20090054
Union Gas Account Manager, Harry VandenBrink, has helped Maple
Leaf Foods access engineering and design assistance as well as
financial incentives for equipment.